Scrimmage kick

[NJOfficial]

K 4th and 10 K30 yard line, R55 blocks punt behind neutral zone, R40 picks ball and advances 4-5 yards where he fumbles and K 20 recovers at the K 10. What is the call?

[Rulesman]

K 4th and 10 K30 yard line, R55 blocks punt behind neutral zone, R40 picks ball and advances 4-5 yards where he fumbles and K 20 recovers at the K 10. What is the call?

K's ball 1/10 on their 10.

[Curious]

+1

Rule 5-1-3d:  Although R touches the kick behind the NZ, they (R) subsequently obtained possession (a change of possession); therefore, following R's fumble, the new series will be awarded to K - the team in possession at the end of the down.

[Mad Mike]

Now, throw a wrench into the works. Same play, only this time R40 muffs the ball 4-5 yards where K recovers the ball at the 10. Now what do you have?

[Kevin Durst]

Now, throw a wrench into the works. Same play, only this time R40 muffs the ball 4-5 yards where K recovers the ball at the 10. Now what do you have?

If R muffs the ball behind the neutral zone and K recovers on the 10, it will be R's ball first and goal.  If R had muffed the ball in advance of the neutral zone, it would be 1st and 10 at the 10 for K.

[Ralph Damren]

....and if R had added a new force when he muffed it at the 4 or 5 and the ball had ended up in k 's possession in the endzone = touchback .

[swany11]

....and if R had added a new force when he muffed it at the 4 or 5 and the ball had ended up in k 's possession in the endzone = touchback .

Wouldn't that be a safety? R never gained possession since it was a muff.

[Ralph Damren]

Wouldn't that be a safety? R never gained possession since it was a muff.

A grounded kick, fumble or backward pass can have a new force applied by a muff, bat or illegal kick (2-13-1) . While this wouldn't apply to grounded kicks that were muffed into R's end zone (2-13-4a) ,it would on muffs into K's. IMHO, this could be an exception to the "when in doubt" list and ruled a safety if unsure that R's muff added a new force.